Why is Day of Mourning important? (commentary)

April 21, 2017

Sadly, 26 years after the first Day of Mourning was enacted in
Canada, workers are still being killed, injured or suffering
occupational illnesses. In 2016, nearly 10,500 New Brunswickers
were hurt on the job, eight of them fatally. Another eight died
from previous years’ injuries or occupational diseases.

At WorkSafeNB, we know only too well the devastation caused by
these tragedies. One of the workers killed last year was the
brother of a WorkSafeNB employee. These tragedies affect families,
friends, co-workers and employers – they affect the community as a
whole.

That’s why we work so hard to uphold our vision of healthy and
safe workplaces in New Brunswick. It’s why we focus on prevention,
through education and enforcement of the Occupational Health
and Safety Act.

WorkSafeNB wants to ensure that all workers understand their
right to refuse unsafe work, and the responsibility to speak up
when they see a co-worker practising unsafe behaviour. This is the
internal responsibility system – it means we all have a role to
play in health and safety at the workplace. Each and every one of
us is responsible for ensuring that our co-workers, our employees
and our neighbours make it home safely at the end of each
shift.

Next month, from May 7-13, we recognize North American
Occupational Safety and Health Week. NAOSH is a partnership of
Canada, the United States and Mexico, working together to promote
the benefits of investing in occupational health and safety and the
prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses.

NAOSH Week’s theme is “Make Safety a Habit” and the Day of
Mourning is the appropriate time to commit to doing just that.

Making safety a habit means doing whatever we can to stop any
unsafe behaviour – whether it’s our own or a co-worker’s. It means
refusing to use any machinery, equipment or vehicles at work
without the proper training. It means skipping the shortcut,
locking out machinery and equipment, wearing the appropriate
personal protective equipment. It means being aware of any hazards
and risks associated with our work, and how to avoid them.

When we don’t make safety a habit, workers get hurt. Workers get
sick. Workers die.

And it is because of this that we recognize the National Day of
Mourning.

While WorkSafeNB and other organizations and events, such as
NAOSH Week, help focus on preventing workplace accidents,
organizations such as Threads of Life support those who have been
touched by a workplace tragedy.

On Sunday, May 7, I ask you to consider participating in the
Steps for Life Walk. This is a major fundraiser for Threads of
Life, an organization dedicated to supporting the healing of those
families impacted by a workplace fatality or life-altering
occupational illness or injury. A walk will be held in both
Fredericton and Saint John, and you can visit our website or
contact Threads for Life for more information.

I am proud to say that many WorkSafeNB employees participate in
these walks, showing their support and solidarity for this
wonderful organization.

And although the work Threads of Life does is comforting and
necessary, we would prefer that there was no need for such an
organization. We don’t want families to have to suffer the pain
associated with workplace tragedy.

We owe it to the workers of New Brunswick and their families to
be committed to healthy and safe workplaces. And we owe it to them
to remember.

WorkSafeNB asks that you support these workers and their
families by observing the Day of Mourning on April 28.